[dburna]

I'm getting tired of turning VOB files into M4V just so Apple TV can read them.  Then I have to store duplicate files (VOB + M4V), eating up valuable space.  I would like to find something with the following features:

1. Reads VOB (a must)
2. Streaming from a hard drive (a must)
3. Allows direct attachment of a hard drive via USB (nice-to-have); can see hard drive over my home network (for transferring files to/from the hard drive)
4. Online streaming of third-party content (most do this)
5. Analog audio out (to attach to my A/V stereo system); HDMI is a secondary, although it would force me to find an HDMI adapter
6. Supports 1080p
7. Decent-to-excellent UI
8. Cheap

I think a Boxee will do all but the analog out (#5).  Are there any other/better options?  Thanks in advance for any ideas for me.

-dB (a unit measure of non-VOB support frustration)

[wilsynet]

Western Digital WD TV Live.

It has everything you want other than analog audio output.

I have both the WD TV Live and the Apple TV 2nd gen.  I got the WD after getting frustrated with the Apple TV for the same reasons you have, and Boxee seemed to be moving toward more services and less support for just files.

It's good.  I'm quite happy with it.

[dburna]

.....and, reading the manual, it looks like WD Live TV may even support HDMI for video while routing audio to the composite out connection (analog out).  Perhaps they have a new version of the WD Live TV that permits this?  I am going to call into their Customer Service just to verify this.  If not, I guess I could fine a cheap-o optical audio-to-S/PDIF converter, but I am hoping to avoid that.

'Tis a shame to abandon the Apple TV given our whole household is Apple at this point, but I'm just a bit too frustrated with the lack of VOB support....plus the (old?) Apple TV UI is no great shakes either.  I'm itchin' to move over and give Vudu or some other service a try.

Thanks, Wilysnet.

-dB

[skunark]

Look at blu-ray players too, they actually do most of this.    I think the Oppo does everything on your list, maybe there's a cheaper one that will do this too.

If your macs are only a one or two years old another option is get a new ATV, you can mirror your mac's display to it.  Same goes with newer iOS devices.

[bigjppop]

Also don't forget you can mod the atv to make it do A LOT more than it does stock; probably everything on your list.

Google crystalbuntu for an interesting solution. You can also check out atv flash for a very easy solution (though one you have to pay for).

I've still got two atv1 boxes and love them now that they're hacked. If I were buying new I'd consider some newer tech, but if you've already got the atv 1...

[dburna]

Look at blu-ray players too, they actually do most of this.    I think the Oppo does everything on your list, maybe there's a cheaper one that will do this too.

If your macs are only a one or two years old another option is get a new ATV, you can mirror your mac's display to it.  Same goes with newer iOS devices.

Wow, great suggestion, Skunark.  I have a 2011 Sony S470 blu-ray player -- nothing fancy, but it works....and provides analog out.  Spent 20 minutes with Sony's online chat support tonight (which was excellent, BTW), and I CAN attach up to 2 hard drives to this unit.  They have to be in FAT32 format (boo!), limiting the drive size to 2TB (double boo!), but it should work.  Several folks on Amazon said this player will read VOB files even though it doesn't specifically reference this in the online manual.  Must be an undocumented (unsupported?) feature. 

Sooooo, I guess I have some "lab work" to do -- re-format a drive and see if I can make this work.  Then I wouldn't need the Apple TV at all.  I have a spare drive and its capacity is much larger than the Apple TV hard drive.  Off to the races......

-dB

[dburna]

Hmmmmm, interesting......  I was considering just selling the Apple TV if I got the hard drive/Sony Blu-Ray situation to work.  Amazing what the re-sale is for a first gen ATV with a 160GB hard drive. 

I will send you a separate PM (later) on the crystalbuntu vs. ATV Flash pros/cons.

I was WAS buying new hardware, what would you recommend these days?  Just curious.  My big thing with many of these streaming solutions is that I have to have a way to get analog audio out at some point in the chain.  My TV's speakers are crappy (what else is new?) and I don't have any DAC/converter to use presently that would convert optical out (which most of these streamers seem to provide, though some don't even do that).

Thank you, sir.

-dB

Also don't forget you can mod the atv to make it do A LOT more than it does stock; probably everything on your list.

Google crystalbuntu for an interesting solution. You can also check out atv flash for a very easy solution (though one you have to pay for).

I've still got two atv1 boxes and love them now that they're hacked. If I were buying new I'd consider some newer tech, but if you've already got the atv 1...

[bigjppop]

Yeah, those two programs are probably the leading reason the resale on those atv1's is so high. Pretty amazing what those Little boxes can do.